Gravity operated sound-producing toy vehicle



Feb 27,, 1951 R. E. PHILLIPS GRAVITY OPERATED SOUND PRODUCING TOYVEHICLE Filed 001;. 11, 1949 P055497 5. ry/440 5 INVENTOR.

WTTOPNEX Patented Feb. 27, 1951 illED STATES PATENT rice GRAVITY OPERATED sooNn-rnonpciso TOY VEHICLE Robert E. Phillips, Los Angeles, Calif. Application October 11, 1949, Serial No. 120,715

4 Claims. 1

My invention relates generally to moving toy vehicles, and mor particularly, to devices of this sort which are adapted to simulate the relatively complex sounds of the full-size vehicle represented, such for example, as the escaping steam, Whistle and rail clatter of an actual train.

i'oy vehicles, such as trains, automobiles, Wagons, and the like, have beenconstructed heretofore with sound-making devices incorporated therein to simulate in a very crude way the sounds produced by the actual vehicle. Such noise makers have usually taken the form of ratchetlike rotating members, percussion instruments or bells connected to be operated by the rotation of the wheels of the toy. These devices are relatively crude, however, and in that they do not accurately reproduce the sounds of the actual vehicle, fall short of the desired effect.

I have found that a toy or model which actually simulates the sounds of its full-size counterpart, such for example as a train, is particularly fascinating to children and forms an instructive and amusing toy. Such an article is not only amusing to children but intriguing to adults, and can be used asan advertis ng or display device.

Accordingly, it is one object of th present invention to provide in a moving toy, inexpensive sound-producing means which accurately reproduces the sound produced by the full-size mechanism of which the toy is a model.

It is another object of the invention to provide means for reproducing simple sounds such as advertising slogans and the like, which employs a self-propelled vehicle for tracing the sound track.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a collaps ble track for a gravity-propelled toy vehicle of the class described.

The foregoing and additional objects and advantages of the invention will appear from a consideration of the following detailed description of an art cle embodying the same, such consideration being given likewise to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a toy monorail train embodying the invention;

Figur 2 is an enlarged perspective View Of a locomotive employed in the train shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevational section taken on the line 3-5 in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a section of the monorail track employed in the structure illustrated in Figure l. g

In the drawings, the reference character i9 denotes gene-rally a toy monorail train, each car of which is provided with upwardly projecting brackets i I, each of which carries at the upper end thereof a V-groove supporting wheel i2, r'otatably carried on a horizontal fixed shaft i3. While the train it is illustrated herein as simulating the conventional steam train, it will be realized that the vehicle or moving element may be formed in a variety or other shapes, such as to represent for example monorail car's, automobile's, aircraft, running animals, and the like. In the present instance, the train is comprised of a locomotive i5 and a number of cars it, articulately joined together.

The train ii] is supported for gravity-actuated movement on a helic'c-spiral guide member or track it? which track is in turn supported on a structure comprising a fiat base it and an upright center column 26. The track it is preferably constructed of a relatively heavy resilient spring wire so as to be substantially self-supporting and so that when the track is detached from the upper end of the column 28, it collapses against the base into a flat spiral shape for ready storage or transportation. Similarly, conventional means are provided for removing the post 20 from the base is for fiat storage.

Alternatively, the track I8 can be formed as a simple helix and so stressed that the turns tend to collapse, one against the other. Such a helical track is held with the turns spread apart by means of a central support such as the post 29. When the upper end of the helix is detached from its support, the helix collapses into a relatively small space.

The noise-producing elements of the present- 1y illustrated embodiment of the invention are carried exclusively by the locomotive i5 and comprise a flat, disc-shaped diaphragm 25 formed With an annular compliance ring 26 and an upwardly projecting stylus merrber 27 secured to the center of the diaphragm 25. The diaphragm 25 is secured by its outer edges ina substantially horizontal position across the interior of the cab of the locomotive i5, and the stylus member 21 projects upwardly therefrom through an opening 38 in the roof of the cab, an aligning bushing 25 of felt or similar material being provided to hold the stylus member 2! in a vertical position. 7

The sound track in which the desired sounds are reproduced in the form of hill-and-dale undulations 39 is formed directly in the track [8. In the present instance, the sounds of a steam locomotive and whistle are recorded by means of the undulations S9. The undulations 33 may be formed in the material of the track is when it is relatively soft and the latter subsequently hardened to permanently preserve the shape of the sound-producing undulations 30. Various methods for producing such tracks are wellknown in the art, and accordingly a further discussion thereof is not required herein.

While the material of the track 18 in the presently preferred form of the invention is metal, it will be realized by those skilled in the art that tracks having the same general characteristics may be produced from other materials such as plastics, and the like, and that furthermore, the undulations 30 instead of being made as a hill-and-dale sound track can easily be formed as a laterally modulated sound track or in other forms of sound modulation well-known in the art.

The upper end of the stylus member 21 is formed with a fiat, generally chisel-shaped and backwardly slanting point 3| which is adapted to engage the sound track undulations 3!! and thus vibrate the diaphragm 25 in accordance with the pattern of the undulations 3!! as the train 19 moves down and around the track l8 under the influence of gravity. The point 3| of the stylus member 21 is hardened so as to resist the wear occasioned by the movement against the undulations 30.

As can be seen best in Figure 4, the undulations 39 are formed along a flat area in the side of the track !8, and as will be noted in Figure 3, this fiat area is displaced outwardly on the track from the lowest spot on the track 18. The purpose cf this arrangement is to compensate for the outward swinging of the train IE occasioned by the centrifugal force in moving down the track 18. Such an arrangement also permits the train 5 to develop a slight amount of forward momentum before encountering the frictional resistance of the undulations 3B. This is due to the fact that when in its initial and stationary position on the track [8, the train hangs in a vertical position, thus placing the stylus member 21 against a relatively unmodulated portion of the track I8. As soon as the train starts to move, however, it swings outwardly thus bringing the point 3| into engagement with the sound track undulations 3B.

To operate the vehicle described herein, it is placed on the track adjacent the upper end thereof by hooking the supporting wheel l2 over the track I8, and released. allowing it to spiral downwardly along the track 18, producing the sound recorded in the undulations 30. When the train reaches the bottom of the track I8, it may be removed therefrom and replaced at the upper end to repeat its journey down and around the track.

While the device has been illustrated herein in connection with a spiral track, it will be realized that other means of propulsion than gravity, and other shapes of tracks may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, a sound-modulated filamentary track, such as that shown, may be stretched between two supporting posts, one slightly lower than the other, and a similar train permitted to coast down the stretched wire. Similarly, other modes of locomotion may be used, such as air screws actuated by spring or electric motors, spring-driven or electrically driven wheels, and the like.

While the device shown and described herein is fully capable of achieving the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it will be realized that considerable modification is possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For this reason, I do not mean to be limited to the form shown and described, but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sound producing toy of the class described, comprising in combination: a centrally supported rail shaped as a helix about a vertical axis; a vehicle depending from wheels revoluble on said rail for gravitational movement downwardly along aid helix; a sound track comprised of undulations formed along the underside of said rail; a diaphragm supported adjacent the top of said vehicle for vibratory movement to produce sound; and a stylus connected to said diaphragm and can gaged with said sound track whereby to produce sound when said car gravitates along said rail.

2. A sound producing toy of the class described, comprising in combination: a centrally-supported rail shaped as a helix about a vertical axis; a vehicle depending from wheels revoluble on said rail for gravitational movement downwardly along said helix; a sound track comprised of undulations formed along the underside of said rail; a diaphragm supported adjacent the top of said vehicle for vibratory movement to produce ound; and a stylus connected to said diaphragm and engaged with said rail at a point thereon adjacent the contact of said car wheels therewith whereby to produce sound when said car gravitates along said rail.

The construction of claim 2 further characterized in that said rail is of circular cross-section and said sound track thereon is displaced outwardly from the lowermost point on said crosssection whereby said stylus fully engages said sound track only when said car is swung outwardly as by centrifugal force.

4. A sound producing toy of the class described, comprising in combination: a centrally-supported rail shaped as a helix about a vertical axis; 2. vehicle depending from wheels revoluble on said rail for gravitational movement downwardly along said helix; a sound track comprised of undulations formed along the underside of said rail; a. diaphragm supported adjacent the top of said vehicle for vibratory movement to produce sound; and a stylus connected to said diaphragm and engag-ed with said rail at a point thereon below the contact of the rearmost wheels of said car whereby to produce sound when said car gravitates along said rail.

ROBERT E. PHILLIPS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,212,941 Hart Jan. 16, 1917 1,449,756 Jackson Mar. 27, 1923 2,236,431 Hcllingsworth War. 25, 1941 2,248,473 Franklin July 8, 1941 2,421,403 Allen June 3, 1947 2,470,476 Dozier May 17, 194

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 379,252 France Oct. 30, 1907 

